Nation First

Two decades after India's resounding victory at Kargil, stories and accounts of the war continue to be narrated with immense pride. Yet, one pertinent perspective has been largely overlooked – that of the army wives. In this remarkable book, Shikha Akhilesh Saxena, wife of artillery officer Captain Akhilesh Saxena, describes the turmoil endured by the families of military officers in the face of conflict.
As a young couple, Shikha and Akhilesh unexpectedly found themselves in the midst of war. Shikha deftly depicts her own experiences as well as those of Akhilesh, who took part in missions at Tololing, the Hump and Three Pimples. What does a soldier go through, when marching off to a near-suicidal mission? And what does it take to survive, even thrive, having sustained serious injuries in battle?
This detailed memoir shows the boundless bravery of the Indian troops, as well as the emotional tumult experienced by their families both during and after the war. Nation First is a story of grit, determination and heroic patriotism shown by the men and women who give their all to safeguard the country.
The Blank Cheque: From middle-class life in the West - to homeless in India
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INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY

​"How can THIS be my life? I am standing totally alone in the early morning hours on an empty street. I’m in a gargantuan Indian city during a global pandemic! What happened to me? Gemma was young. So was Prateek. A cross-cultural relationship - cursed from the start. The early signs were there for Gemma to see, but the blindfold was tied, and the damage had begun. “They asked for dowry. Isn’t that an old custom?” Gemma was there for Prateek at the start…and still there to the very end. So, after decades together, how did it all go so wrong? How do you go from western middle-class life to homelessness in India during the COVID-19 pandemic? How do you nearly lose your life? 'BLANK CHEQUE'(Noun)“an unlimited freedom of action” The entitlement… ‘The Blank Cheque’ has been written for the millions of people who cannot speak out about abuse for fear of retribution; for the countless abandoned or abused NRI (Non-Resident Indian) brides, who, like Gemma, find themselves alone in a foreign country; and for people around the world who silently face the subtle (and not so subtle) lesser-known forms of emotional, psychological and financial abuse every day. The invisible must be made visible.
​Armenians of Calcutta

Armenians of Calcutta is a book of photographs, text and rare archival material on the Armenian community of Calcutta. The founders of the city as we know it today - a fact not widely known or accepted. The photographer spent a decade on this work; researching, photographing and gathering previously unknown, unseen material, unique to the community and the city they helped build. 

​The Professional Woman's Handbook
Professional women. We go through life pursuing success. And as we pursue one success after another, life happens. We deal with the joy, guilt, satisfaction, and pain of our choices, and go on to making more, reacting to whatever life throws at us. We hardly ever consciously think of where we want to go and the choices that will take us there. What if you had a practical and insightful guide to thinking through your goals, priorities, and choices?

​Aparna digs into her extensive experience working with women professionals to bring you just that. Filled with stories, interactive exercises and reflective prompts, this book is your chance to consider the meaning of success for you and arrive at the choices that will help you get there.
Daring
The coronavirus pandemic caused a major loss of livelihood for people around the globe. Its effect was also seen in small businesses. Due to a loss in income, depression, and desperation gripped the minds of many. In energy-sapping times like these, one man dared to go out there and make an opportunity for himself, while others waited for one to appear itself. Daring is a short story based on real-life events that highlights the struggles of that journey and its rewards.

Having lost hope for his business in the food industry, Saurabh, the protagonist, decides to venture out into the sanitisation business, hoping to at least be able to make ends meet. However, his journey turns out to be far more exciting than that and he is able to make it big.
A Fool's Tale
A book about hope.

​https://drive.google.com/file/d/14RgwF-d2LI47CMAMaQtkvyaRhzts4CQX/view
From Everest, With Love
In May 2016, Neil became the first woman from Andhra Pradesh to attempt to climb Mt. Everest. The way she owned and worked towards her dreams since childhood, she looked unstoppable. After every visit to the Mountains, she would excitedly share the stories and wisdom her Mountain Gods taught her. 

But she was not prepared for the Greatest Lesson that was awaiting her. As she inched closer to her dreams, in a fateful turn of events, she took a decision to return just 200 meters short of the Summit to save her sherpa's life. It was a non-negotiable decision, prioritizing life before everything else. In the year following that fateful day, she learnt forgiveness, humbleness and rising through pain even as she was at the centre of mountaineering politics and public attention. She silently learnt the greatest lesson of life and garnered the courage to face her sherpa - the one who taught her the value of life and family. As she heals herself through this book, she finds strength through the very same Sherpa community who have been an integral part of her mountaineeing journey.

This is a story of values, friendship, love and forgiveness.
Music In The Kitchen
​With a musical mix that free ranges from progressive country to rock'n'roll, jazz, Texas swing, Latin, blues, pop, bluegrass, and world music, Austin City Limits inspires and entertains millions of fans around the globe, and is now the longest-running show on PBS, as well as an annual music festival that draws tens of thousands of music lovers to the "Live Music Capital of the World."

Music in the Kitchen offers a unique, highly flavorful way to connect with ACL through the favorite recipes of some 130 artists who've appeared on its stage. Not surprisingly, the recipes reflect the diverse national and international roots of the performers, who tell interesting and flavorful stories of what these dishes mean to them and their families.

​Glenda Facemire introduces the recipes with brief biographies that highlight not only the artists' musical careers and achievements but also their contributions to society beyond music, as well as their favorite charities. Striking color photographs of the performers make this book a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.
​Corpokshetra
​The Pandavas have returned home after 13 years of exile. And they are demanding their stake in Hastinapur Inc.

But the Kauravas, led by the haughty Duryodhana, aren’t ready to give them a penny.

The battle lines are drawn, only this war is in the present-day Kurukshetra—the corporate boardroom.
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As the Kauravas and the Pandavas don their sharpest suits, Krishna—the wily—strategies for peace.

​This is a humorous, modern take on the Mahabharata (with due apologies to Rishi Ved Vyas).

​An epic story retold for the MBA generation.
Roomies/Foodies​
​The year is 2001. Two young Indian girls arrive in the US for the first time, to attend graduate school and be roommates. One’s a non-cook. The other’s kitchen skills are strictly basic. As luck would have it, both are consummate foodies. And it’s not just advanced Molecular Biology they’ll come to tackle—the daily challenge is to feed their stomachs…and souls…on a thinner-than-spaghetti budget!

Part memoir, part cook-book, Roomies/Foodies compiles the experiments and culinary adventures of Lux and Meg as they stick to their resolve of eating only ​non-boring food! Written in a slick, hip, conversational style, this well-organized handbook bubbles with anecdotes, tips, tricks, cheater’s methods and over 60 lip-smacking recipes. Spanning an easy-to moderate spectrum of skills, Meg and Lux’s “Eureka moments” in their own kitchen will help spare YOU some painful trial and error in yours!

https://www.amazon.in/Roomies-Foodies-Cooking-Students-Abroad-ebook/dp/B0196UDNYE
​Acing Admissions
​Acing Admissions is the only guide you need to help navigate the application process for admission to colleges in the US. From profile building to financial aid information and everything in between, it provides a step-by step guide to help parents and students alike.

Authors Kavita Mehta, MBA, and Kimberly Wright Dixit, PhD, co-founders of The Red Pen, India’s premier admissions advising firm, aim to demystify the US college landscape by providing ​easy-to-understand information and anecdotes that are helpful to Indian applicants.
​​East or West
​This is a book for Indian parents living outside India as well as their children who may or may not define themselves as Indian. It is about identity in a fast-changing world. Are we all global citizens? How alike are we? What makes us desis different from non-Indians? Will these differences narrow over time? It is about the Indian identity amongst people who do not live in India. It is, more specifically, about the role of parenting in shaping this identity. 
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In this self-deprecating book I have examined my own parenting style and whether all immigrant groups had the same goals and methods of achieving them. Was the Chinese Tiger mother different from the Bengal tigress? Were “Indian” children lliving in the US subject to a different set of pressures from Indian children in the UK or Dubai or Singapore?

These and other issues are explored in the following pages. What makes my book different is that it is unapologetically Indian – by and for Indians. It does not purport to be the only way to bring up children abroad. But it was my way. And having produced two children who most people describe as “well brought up”, it is one possible way. 
​​Happiness Is All We Want
Today, we are leading our lives in mindless pursuit, unable even to articulate what we are pursuing. We are unhappy even after achieving what we desire. Happiness is all we want! suggests that the source of peace and happiness is within us, if we know the secret. The book's objective is to help us unlock that secret and attain a high level of overall well-being in order to lead a happy and fulfilling life and be the healthiest we can be, mentally and physically. A wide variety of tools and techniques are explained in simple language. Many real life experiences of the author as well as other people are interspersed through the book. 

Demystifying the spiritual aspect of wellbeing, this book integrates it with your life objectives. You can immensely improve not only the peace and happiness in your life but your beauty and appearance as well.